Word Choice – ‘Are You the One Who Called?’ vs ‘Are You the One That Called?’

pronounsword-choiceword-in-context

How does one decide whether to use who or that? In the title example:

  1. The correct pronoun is who.
  2. The correct pronoun is that.
  3. Either is correct. They're interchangeable.
  4. It depends on the context.

Best Answer

Are you the one who called...

Are you the one that called ...

Though normally a human antecedent is followed by who, yet in some cases that is also accepted. Both of these sentences quoted above are correct.


Normally use "who" as the relative pronoun following a human antecedent and "that" (or "which") following an inanimate antecedent.

Either "who" or "that" may be used when the antecedent is animate but not human, or when the antecedent is human but representative of a class or is an indefinite pronoun.

Example -

a white poodle that sported a red hair bow. (antecedent is animate but not human)

a baby that cries in unsocial hours. (antecedent is human but representative of a class)

a fellow that sells a bracelet is not necessarily interested in people. (antecedent is human but representative of a class)

it was an obvious rebuff, and one that hurt Benn very deep. (antecedent is an indefinite pronoun)

From The New Fowler's Modern English Usage - R. W. Burchfield page no. 773

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